A bit overdue...
It seems that with my last blog entry I left some of my readers wondering about my current state of spirits, so I want to clarify a bit in this entry...Since I moved out of my first house in La Esperanza, I have had a wonderful three weeks following. The transformation I had after leaving my first family really confirmed that it was a smart decision. I had great support from Peace Corps and realized what a negative impact that first week had on me. I ended up with a great family – grandma, 3 daughters, and 3 grandchildren. Fathers have been non-existent in my experiences thus far. My family was Lenca, and I got to experience the traditional folkloric dances as well as some pretty incredible food...
In addition to my family and cultural experiences, I was also working with the Municipality of Intibuca training staff in the use of AutoCAD, GPS, and how to read topographic maps. The sessions were productive and when we left, I felt like we had made a difference in the lives of a few people. They were going to be using GPS to measure the length of roads to be paved in town, and were very excited when they mastered the use of the GPS system.
I also worked with the Mayor and the Red de Patronatos (a network of concerned citizens) to talk about zoning regulations in Intibuca. Historically the zoning has only addressed height limitations, but the town is in the process of siting a new cemetery, discoteca, park, and market, and wanted some guidance on how to plan for this future development. The largest problem they are facing is how development will affect their natural resources. For example, they want to site a cemetery on a hill in a rural area of the department, so we talked about the implications this will have on their main water source, etc...It was a pretty interesting conversation and I think will be especially pertinent to my future project assignment.
Perhaps the best part of the training experience wasn’t related to municipal development at all...though we stretch it to include rural tourism (i.e. horseback riding through the Honduran countryside) We spent 5 hours one day on horseback, riding in the campo of San Juan, stopping at a beautiful waterfall for lunch. It was amazing. I have to say I wasn’t thrilled to be getting on a horse, since my last experience, but I had a great time! He listened to me and was very good at obeying my commands...In the end I let him run and held on tight...
In all, La Esperanza was a great experience. I continued to improve upon my Spanish, am enjoying the friends I have in my training group as well as in the community, and am feeling more settled in Central America. I am back in Santa Lucia now. Tonight I will make dinner for my family and give them my thanks before entering my last 2 weeks here. I will be learning my permanent site on Tuesday and then will travel with my “counterpart” to my site on Thursday. We swear in as actual Peace Corps Voulnteers next Thursday, September 7th, before moving out to our sites on Friday. Time is slipping by and I look forward to sharing my next bit of news with you all very soon...
In addition to my family and cultural experiences, I was also working with the Municipality of Intibuca training staff in the use of AutoCAD, GPS, and how to read topographic maps. The sessions were productive and when we left, I felt like we had made a difference in the lives of a few people. They were going to be using GPS to measure the length of roads to be paved in town, and were very excited when they mastered the use of the GPS system.
I also worked with the Mayor and the Red de Patronatos (a network of concerned citizens) to talk about zoning regulations in Intibuca. Historically the zoning has only addressed height limitations, but the town is in the process of siting a new cemetery, discoteca, park, and market, and wanted some guidance on how to plan for this future development. The largest problem they are facing is how development will affect their natural resources. For example, they want to site a cemetery on a hill in a rural area of the department, so we talked about the implications this will have on their main water source, etc...It was a pretty interesting conversation and I think will be especially pertinent to my future project assignment.
Perhaps the best part of the training experience wasn’t related to municipal development at all...though we stretch it to include rural tourism (i.e. horseback riding through the Honduran countryside) We spent 5 hours one day on horseback, riding in the campo of San Juan, stopping at a beautiful waterfall for lunch. It was amazing. I have to say I wasn’t thrilled to be getting on a horse, since my last experience, but I had a great time! He listened to me and was very good at obeying my commands...In the end I let him run and held on tight...
In all, La Esperanza was a great experience. I continued to improve upon my Spanish, am enjoying the friends I have in my training group as well as in the community, and am feeling more settled in Central America. I am back in Santa Lucia now. Tonight I will make dinner for my family and give them my thanks before entering my last 2 weeks here. I will be learning my permanent site on Tuesday and then will travel with my “counterpart” to my site on Thursday. We swear in as actual Peace Corps Voulnteers next Thursday, September 7th, before moving out to our sites on Friday. Time is slipping by and I look forward to sharing my next bit of news with you all very soon...
posted by Honduras Girl @ 4:24 PM
1 Comments:
At 8:55 PM,
Anonymous said…
Stephanie, I saw the following quotation in a book review: "the only possible way the notion of happiness can be reclaimed from the machinery of self-indulgence is to recast it as the possession of virtuous character and the performance of virtuous action."
By this calculus, you must be one of the happiest persons in the world. The "performance of virtuous action" is what your stay in Honduras is all about. A lot of folks back here are in your cheering section.
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